Lobster Ban East Coast

Many people are up in arms this week with the news that the governement may put a ban on harvesting lobster for much of the east coast. The lobster population is said to be dangerously low, and biologists say that slowing down the business of harvesting lobster may be necessary to avoid putting the species in danger in our region.

Lobster are a perennial favorite dish for cooking in luxury restaurants and locally in lobster rolls and other more humble fare. Considered one of the most delectable kinds of seafood, it often goes for high prices and provides thousands of people with livelihoods as they support their families working on lobster boats and providing restaurants with the crustaceans.

Said a representative, about Maine being left out of the ban: "There have been people making allegations that we're doing this to price markets. Just the idea that it's going to somehow be a boost to our fishery is not based on any information that I've seen. So there's no economic boom that I see from our discussion in southern New England."

Lobster Ban East Coast
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Consider the lobster: The population of the crustaceans is at such low levels along the East Coast that a regulatory agency is proposing a five-year ban on harvesting them between Cape Cod and Virginia. "Long Island Sound, in particular, has been in poor health since 1999," said Toni Kerns, senior fishery management plan coordinator at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. "We had a die off in the fishery." On Thursday, the technical committee of biologists for the Atlantic commission is meeting in Warwick, R.I., to discuss the proposal. They have the final authority to shut down lobstering in these coastal waters.

Lobster Ban East Coast